By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

Due to a larger-than-normal expected voter turnout, the offices of the town of Cicero will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 8, which is Election Day, Supervisor Mark Venesky announced at the Oct. 26 Cicero Town Board meeting.

Town Clerk Tracy Cosilmon, who is president of the Onondaga County Town Clerks Association, said she recently attended an association meeting at which representatives from the Onondaga County Board of Elections were present.

“There are several towns that are closed on Election Day — town of Clay, town of Geddes and town of Onondaga,” Cosilmon said.

Cosilmon said the parking lot at the town hall, which is located at 8236 Brewerton Road, is not large enough to accommodate the vehicles of both town employees and voting residents.

“We definitely have a parking issue here to accommodate them, and this is the center of all of our offices where everyone would be going,” Cosilmon said.

Venesky told the Star-Review that the Board of Elections expects 70 to 75 percent of registered voters to participate in this year’s general election. In 2015, about 26 percent of Onondaga County voters headed to the polls, according to Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny.

All employees who regularly report to the town hall will have a day off with full compensation. Highway department employees have the day off as well, but their contracted holidays already include Election Day.

While Venesky said parking lot congestion could pose a safety issue, resident Don Snyder expressed his displeasure with the town’s decision during the public input portion of the meeting.

“I think what we just did is a little crazy because I think we just gave our people another holiday and … the board didn’t vote for that holiday,” Snyder said. “It’s not in the budget.”

Also on the agenda

In addition to discussing Election Day safety, the town board addressed the following issues:

• Zoning: The town board voted to schedule a public hearing for Nov. 9 to amend the portion of the town code that deals with area, yard and bulk regulations. The amendment would reduce the minimum building line from 75 feet to 70 feet.

“It came to our attention during the last re-zoning proceedings that there are a number of properties on Lakeshore Road which are zoned agricultural but have special nonconforming uses for residential,” Councilor Jonathan Karp said. “There are nine properties who, because of the minimum building line being 75 feet, cannot fit into [residential zones] R-10 or R-15. This would change R-10 so that those properties would be eligible for this re-zoning.”

• Highway purchase: The town board also voted to advertise for bids on a 2016 wheel loader, as the highway department’s current payloader is in disrepair. Highway Superintendent Chris Woznica said the 2005 payloader’s cab and hydraulic system are badly damaged.

“The cab structurally is not safe. … It’s so rotted it will not protect the rider in the event of a rollover,” Woznica said.

Venesky said repairs to the payloader would be $30,000. Woznica said the lowest price for a new wheel loader he has found so far is $102,000 with trade-in.

“Once we bid this out, the bid should come back a little bit cheaper,” Woznica said.

Bids are due in the town clerk’s office 11 a.m. Nov. 4.